About timeline

Purpose of Follansbee Timeline

When Frank was honored during the 2009 Follansbee Community days, Mayor Tony Paesano mentioned that Dr. Frank Chorba was doing research on the early days of the city.  The Follansbee Timeline represents Frank’s efforts.

The Timeline is intended to be an on-going project.  As the Timeline is expanded, the community is invited to participate by sending old photos, suggesting additional Timeline events, and contributing stories about Follansbee passed down from parents and grandparents.   The community is invited to make comments, assist by correcting errors, and help identify persons on photos.   Above all, the community is invited to enjoy reading the Timeline, which contains the collective memories of a little town that does big things.

Timeline Theme

The theme, “The Little Town That Does Big Things,” originated with a 1920 Herald Star article that reported on the annual city Jubilee which energized the spirits of Follansbee.  (See 1913 – The Boosters of The Knights of Pythias Lodge –)

Washburn University Research Grants

The Follansbee Timeline and website were funded by two research grants obtained by Dr. Frank Chorba from Washburn University, Topeka, KS.  The grants have made possible public access to the Follansbee Review newspaper microfilm collections at both West Virginia University and the State of West Virginia Archives.  Because of the grants, historic copies of the Follansbee Review can be obtained through the interlibrary loan system available at public libraries. The Washburn grants also provided for the purchase of historic Follansbee photos from the State of West Virginia Archives.

The scholarly purpose of the Washburn University grants is to document historic events pertaining to the establishment and growth of the city of Follansbee. The Timeline is intended to communicate the story of Follansbee through its economic, cultural and social evolution.

Washburn University: http://www.washburn.edu/

Newspaper Sources

The West Virginia University and the State of West Virginia Archives have preserved old issues of the Mill Towns Review and the Follansbee Review and the public in invited to use them.  The Brooke County Library Genealogy Room (Wellsburg) also has some copies on microfilm.  In addition, special funding from Washburn University in Kansas, has made it possible for the general public to access past issues of the newspaper through the interlibrary loan system available at public Libraries, including the Steubenville Public Library.

Website Assistant-Callie S. Hobkirk

Callie  Callie’s valuable timeline contributions include her knowledgeable integration of website content, including new photos and subject areas. Her ability as a trouble-shooter and manager of WordPress is instrumental to the quality of the Follansbee Timeline. Callie is a 2017 Washburn University graduate and former student assistant for Dr. Chorba. 

 

Acknowledgements 

Tony Paesano, former Mayor of Follansbee, who encouraged the history of Follansbee Timeline project and made available historic materials from his office.

Dr. Corley Dennison, Vice President at Marshall University, who made possible public access to the Follansbee Review newspaper archives via interlibrary loan.

Loreto Iafrate & Loretta Thomas, owners of 88’s Barber Shop – Follansbee, for providing historic photos and stories of the city sports teams & personalities.

Dr. Maria Stover, Washburn University, and Mr. Michael Stover, John Deer Company, for copyediting and technical consultation regarding Timeline design.  

Ralph “Red” Hunter & Bobbie Elliott, Brook County Genealogical Society, for making historic photos and documents available.

Sandy Day and Erika Grubbs, Public Library of Steubenville & Jefferson County, who assisted in locating local published histories and newspaper microfilms.

James Piccirillo is a former president of the Brooke County Board of Education. His knowledge of Follansbee & collections of photos, many visible on the Follansbee Timeline and I’m from Follansbee website, are important contributions to the preservation of the city’s history.

Gail Meloy – President of Friends of Follansbee Library & Archive Room, who provided historic Timeline photos.

Debbie Vraninin, Fort Vance Historical Society in Burgettstown Pa., for providing photos and promoting the Follansbee Timeline.

Sincere gratitude goes to the following, whose interviews, photos and other resources made this timeline possible:

Louis Headman, David Chorba, Joe Prest, Gerald “Peck” Blakley, Mario Cipriani, John Cipriani, Frank Gaudio, Nancy (Budea) Cummins, Parker Berket, Andy Banfi, Denny Williams, Burl Postlethwait, Frank Aftanas, Lisa and Glenn Andriano, Anna Berardi, Anna Riska, Mary Jo Boniey, William Schubenski, Phil Consalvo, Tillie Meno, Bernard Ciccolella, Mary Frances (Ciccolella) Schwertfeger, John Julio, Ralph Freshwater, James B. Rowing, Goldie Almason Baly, George Kohelis, Phyllis (Roman) Riccadonna, Kenneth Loy, Lonny Riggs, Judy (Vickers) Bowman, Joe Settimio, Mike Falbo, George Pfister, Clara Casini, Wayne & Darleen (Swartz) Kemp, Elizabeth Rea, John Ford, Earl & Sylvia (Ferrelli) Wendt, Donna (Taibi) Sullivan, Vicki Neumeyer, Larry “Plumber” Jones,  Thomas & Lorreta (Smitz) McBride, Mitch Grishkevich,  Carl Martino, Frank Paesano, Dr. Thimios Zaharopoulos, Clarence R. Virtue, Bob Benzo,  Val Giglio, Richard Rees, Paul Freese, Richard A. Boyd, Cornelia (Brady) Waugh, Charles Goff, Angelo Ciccolella, Jody Chorba, Brady R. Dunlevy Sr., Bill Saunders, Jim Mirasola, John Klem, Harley Burton, John Ceglie, Joyce Higginbotham.

Follansbee photos at WV Archives incorporated into the Timeline: 

  • Jim Mirasola Collection
  • Larry Iafrate Collection
  • Mary Schwertfeger Collection
  • Follansbee Library Collection  
  • Denny Williams Collection
  • Richard A. Boyd Collection                               
  • Mavis Roush Collection